


101 colors of KakaIru

by Chocobofever



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, M/M, Other, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2018-12-29 19:03:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12091413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocobofever/pseuds/Chocobofever
Summary: A collection of short stories, some will seem snippets or incomplete.NEW! CHAPTER 8: Iruka has been keeping secrets and now he's in trouble...  (Vampire fic)





	1. Vampire Nation (1)

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Feel free to be inspired or continue any of these prompts if they strike your fancy. I have many lying around and I just wanted to do something with them since there is no way I will be able to finish all of them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When 14 yeard old Hunter trainee Iruka is betrayed by his best friend he decides to get revenge by securing himself a better familiar at the Festival. Some families will pass down or buy their children their first familiar, but for an orphan like Iruka this is his only chance. He doesn't think he could live with himself if he were to fail.

“It can’t be…”

“That’s… That’s the S-class, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t that Iruka was particularly skilled. His parents had died when he was young, leaving him to grow up at the church with a bunch of other orphans who were either much younger than him or better behaved. As a result, Iruka grew up to be a very tedious teenager, always coming up with tricks and gimmicks that would land him in the limelight for that one precocious second.

If he were to be entirely honest, Iruka probably wouldn’t have been able to do it if not for Mizuki’s recent betrayal. He just needed _something_ to rub in the pale-haired bastard’s face and that goal had been important enough for him to forget the fear of death for one precious second.

That one second had been all he needed.

\--

“Preposterous! You can’t seriously be thinking of letting the child keep him? He is one of Konoha’s greatest assets…“

“And also unusable by any of our higher ranked operatives,” reminded Hiruzen. The councilman in front of him gaped, stunted by his harsh, but truthful words.  “Is it not time to let someone else try? Iruka-kun may be young, but he _did_ perform the capture…“

“By sheer dumb luck!”

“Be that as it might be,” conceded Hiruzen. “He is currently our best choice. Give him time, see if he can get 009720 under control.”

“009720 cannot be controlled! We have seen it time and time again. Even our best operatives are at a loss at what to with him.”

“Yet someone _did_ control him, did they not?” Hiruzen raised a brow pointedly and the councilman scowled in return.

“If you are referring to the Fourth, he died over a decade ago. I think it is safe to say we should forget about him. Pertaining to this, at least,” said the councilman, in a more amiable tone.

Hiruzen took another breath out of his pipe, taking in the sight of Konoha’s rooftops opening up before him. “That is why I say we should let Iruka-kun try. He lives on Academy grounds so we can easily keep an eye on him, plus he will have his instructors close to teach him how to take on this new responsibility. I agree that Iruka-kun cannot control him now, but maybe he can grow to become a master that even _he_ will acknowledge.”

The councilman looked doubtful, but he reluctantly tilted his head. “You _are_ aware that Umino-san’s grades are the worst in his class?” 

Hiruzen stilled. “Not the absolute worst, surely.”

“The _absolute_ worst.”

Hiruzen sighed, rubbing the between his eyes.  “I will talk to him. For now, my order stands. We’ll see if we can make something of this and if not…”

The councilman straightened out his arms next to his body before bowing lowly. He was not someone Hiruzen considered a close friend, not someone he was on particularly good terms with even, but he was respectful of the ladder of command and would carry out whatever decision Hiruzen or the Council came to.

\--

To tell the truth, Iruka hadn’t really been thinking about the ‘after’ part of his revenge. So, he had been able to secure a familiar and a better one than Mizuki’s at that, well done. Only problem was, he had no idea what do now.

"Here you go. No matter what you do, don’t ever try to unchain him without a teacher there to help you keep him in line.”

The end of a long, thin chain was placed in Iruka’s palm. He squeezed it automatically, but throwing a look at the nearly six foot  vampire next to him he couldn’t for the life of him understand how he was supposed to restrain the guy if he wanted to go.

Maybe if he looked around someone else would know what they were meant to do. Iruka twisted his head this way and that, trying to pinpoint the geeks in his class. Doing so, his eyes happened to cross his familiar's one-eyed stare. Iruka felt as if a load of ice cubes had been slipped down the collar of his shirt.

“Iruka-kun, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” muttered Iruka, turning his eyes to their instructor who was slowly making his way to the front.

Their instructor began his speech by congratulating the trainees who had been successful in today’s quest. Iruka did his best to listen in as they did indeed get instructions on how to proceed from here, but it sounded like the usual mumbo jumbo and Iruka found his mind drifting quickly.

Iruka had a familiar now. Would that mean that his days as the dead last of the class were finally over?

\--

 “As expected from Iruka-kun.”

“For a moment there I feared the laws of nature might have been turned on their head, but it was just the exception that proves the rule; Iruka really _does_ suck that bad. I didn’t think it was possible, but he really does.”

“Guys,” whined Iruka though if he were to be honest, the underlined and circled four points on his test paper kind of impressed even him. 

“That’s going to mean supplementary lessons,” said Izumo, in a kinder tone of voice. Iruka beamed at him. “And no, I’m not going to tutor you.”

Iruka pouted. “You suck.”

“No, you do,” said Izumo, looking over his own test paper; He’d gotten a whooping 88 points, which apparently counted as ' _pretty average'.  
_

“How many supplementary classes are you in now?” asked Kotetsu. Iruka lifted four fingers. “Sweet. Meet you in English.”

“I passed English,” said Iruka sullenly. Kotetsu gaped, almost falling over on his chair. .

“What? Seriously?”

“It’s one of his better classes,” said Izumo.

“But still,” said Kotetsu, looking bewildered. “I’m worse than Umino at something? It can’t be!”

“I’m not that bad,” said Iruka, staring daggers at his spiky haired somewhat-friend.

“Hey.” Kotetsu called out, looking around the class. A few guys looked up, while most of them continued with whatever they were doing.  “Who’s having supplementary classes in English?” A few exchanged looks, but nobody raised a hand.

“Umino?” guessed one.

“I’m not that bad!” declared Iruka.

“Shit,” said Kotetsu, turning to face them again.. Iruka grinned evilly at him.

“So, how does it feel to be a failure?” Iruka asked in the most sugary voice he could muster. Kotetsu scowled at him, but Izumo’s arm coming in between them stopped them from taking it a step further.

“How are things going with 009720?” asked Izumo, smoothly changing the subject. .

“With what?” asked Iruka. This time Izumo looked up, looking dumbfounded.

“Are you serious?”

“Wait, that is the code for a vampire, isn’t it?” asked Iruka. “ _My_ vampire? Er, the one I trapped I mean.”

Izumo’s brows furrowed, the way they always did when the brunette was certain Iruka was about to fail yet another test of theirs.

“I’m not good with numbers,” mumbled Iruka, lowering his head to rest it against the top of his desk sullenly. “And I was going to call him by another name anyway.”

He’d been thinking of names all day long actually, unable to focus in class because of it. Iruka had several strong sounding ones in mind, but he could never quite decide on a particular one. _Raging Thunder_ sounded cool, but was impractical to yell out in the fray of battle. _Immortal Nightmare_ was a favorite from his younger days, but Iruka wasn’t quite satisfied with that one either. He’d thought about using something in a foreign language,ne of the older students had an A-rankcalled Adelaide, but Iruka was afraid he might botch up the pronunciation and wouldn't _that_ be embarrassing.

By the end of the day, Iruka still hadn’t been able to settle on any single one and so he trudged down to the dungeons for his first one-on-one session with a list in his hand. For teaching purposes, 00-whatever-0 had been taken to a separate room where he remained securely chained to the wall.

“This, Iruka-kun, is the classical way of restraining vampires; Hands tied from elbow down behind the back, neck attached to the wall on a chain of varying length... That it usually up to the master, according to how well they believe their vampire will stay put. Usually it is better to caution on the side of safety.” Iruka's teacher sent Iruka's vampire a pointed look. Iruka noted that with how he had been restrained, the vampire wouldn't be able to move much, several inches away from the wall at most. “Have you decided on what you’re going to call him?”

Iruka jumped, fumbling with the paper in his hands. “I-I have a few ideas. I just couldn’t quite decide…” Iruka looked down. The reassuring voice of his instructor had him raising his head again.

“That is quite a common problem. Why don’t you voice a few options and see what he thinks of them?”

He? Iruka looked to the vampire, swallowing thickly. The vampire still wasn't acknowledging their presence in the room, staring at the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing around. Clearing his throat, Iruka tightened his grip on the sheet in his hands. “Raging Thunder,” he read out loud. A beat passed, then the vampire's head turned. Iruka had a hard time deciding if he liked it or not, what-with his face being covered so much. Iruka's instructor coughed into his palm.

“Erm, what are the other options?”

Iruka looked down at his list. “Immortal Nightmare. Fangs. Eternal Night. Archdevil. Fire Emblem..." He read out each name in turn, glancing up at his vampire's face after each one, waiting for a signal. What signal, he did not know, but some signal. Surely someone would tell him when to stop. "Secret Soldier—“

“No.” Iruka and his instructor both turned to stare at the vampire. “They’re all shit.”

“W-What?" Iruka felt his face heating. "Is that any way to speak to your master? And I didn’t even say them all yet!”

“I can already tell.”

“Iruka-kun, maybe you should find one that the both of you can agree on,” the instructor said quickly. It felt like failure to give in, but Iruka had to concede sensei had a point. Reluctantly he turned his gaze down to his list, but before he could locate where he’d left off, the vampire spoke.

“Scarecrow.”

“Ha!” said Iruka, pointing at him gleefully. “That one is just as bad as mine!” The vampire looked deeply unimpressed.

“Scarecrow,” the vampire said again.

“No way,” said Iruka.. “I think I’ll call you Fate’s Call _._ That’s pretty cool, isn’t it?”   

“Scarecrow,” the vampire insisted. “I refuse to answer to any other name.”

Sensei tried to put a hand on Iruka’s shoulder, but Iruka barely noticed it. To think the vampire he’d caught would be so stubborn. It was just Iruka’s luck—and only days after he’d been snubbed by the guy he’d thought to be his best friend!

“Iruka-kun,” began Sensei. “Maybe—“

“I’ll call you Toothless if you don’t start behaving,” threatened Iruka.

“Great. We’re making progress,” said the vampire flatly, his voice as dry as the deserts of northern Wind Country. Iruka gaped, astounded by the audacity of him.

 “Iruka-kun,” said Sensei, his tone reproachful, before Iruka could bark something in response.

“But he’s an ass!”

Sensei sent the vampire a quick look. “Even then, you must keep your cool. Remember that though they are our familiars, vampires can never quite be tamed—you need to think of him as more of a reluctant ally than a… Pet.”

Iruka huffed, folding his arms over his chest. Sensei looked exasperated, seeming like he didn’t quite know what to do with Iruka; A look Iruka was very familiar with on his teachers' faces.

“009720…” began teacher.

“Kakashi," said the vampire. It took Iruka a moment to realize it was another suggestion for a name.

“That means scarecrow, doesn’t it?” said Iruka, frowning. He felt the word around on his tongue.“It won’t be any cooler just because you say it in a different way.”

“It’s not meant to sound cool," the vampire spoke through clenched teeth.  “It’s my name.”

“It won’t be your name if I don’t…” Iruka began, temper on the verge of exploding, only to pause when he felt the heavy weight of Sensei's hand on his shoulder. “It’s your real name?”

“True name,” corrected Sensei. His voice sounded odd, but Iruka didn’t focus on it for too long.

A vampire’s true name. Iruka spent a lot of time dozing off in class, but even he knew names were powerful, which was why most vampires chose not to disclose theirs.

“Well,” said Iruka, taken aback. He wasn't happy to admit defeat, but neither was he enough of an asshole to force a person to change their _name._ "Okay, Kakashi it is, _but,"_ Iruka paused to scowl at him, hands perched on either of his hips to seem imposing. "If I get reason to doubt your word I'm registering you as Raging Thunder, okay?"

\--

“Pardon?” said Hiruzen.

“The Umino brat weaseled 009720’s name out of him.” Hiruzen held his breath. “Just a first name though. _Kakashi.”_

“Is it authentic?”

“We think it is. We’re trying to look through the Fourth’s records again to see if there are any mentions of it.”

Hiruzen leaned his chin into his hand. Kakashi. Finally 009720 had a name. They’d always suspected that Minato knew, but after his master’s death, the vampire had refused to tell any of them.

Hiruzen’s lips tugged. Things were about to get interesting.


	2. Far, Far Away (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka and Kakashi break up. Iruka tries to escape the painful memories. 
> 
> Angst. (With happy ending?)

Iruka isn't sure he wants to see Kakashi anymore. He thinks of all the moments they've shared, of the love that had, at one point, burned bright between them. So little of that remains now. Their love is in shatters, their life in ruins. Well, Iruka's is. He's not certain about Kakashi anymore, not the way he would at one point have been.

He sighs. The wind feels cold against his cheek, the sun setting in the distance. Iruka's legs dangle freely over the ledge. He gazes at the water in the distance, at the small streak of land visible far, far away. Maybe he should make another attempt at life in another village? Another country entirely perhaps? It's not like he has much tying him to Konoha (not anymore). Naruto could visit him in another land even if Iruka decided to move away.

He doesn't know if he's serious or just contempating ways of escape in an unpleasant situation. He knows that at the very least he'll resign from desk duty so he won't have to see Kakashi return from missions, or be taking new ones. Though, knowing Kakashi, the jonin would probably find ways to avoid Iruka even if he did continue, but the temptation to spy on the missions his former lover takes would be too much and the pain is not something Iruka wishes to set himself up for. So the desk duty will go. Not that he ever loved it particularly, but he'll have to rebudget. Perhaps move into a smaller apartment. Or a different country altogether.

Deep inside he thinks he'll never be able to forget the older man. Kakashi's dry jokes, the strength of his body against Iruka's, the times spent patching him up from a rough or less rough mission, dirtying Iruka's bathroom in the process.

Also... If he moves far, far away, then maybe he can live in his own little shell and pretend nothing ever changed. That Kakashi is just away on a long mission and that one day he'll return. That they're still in love and that Kakashi wants nothing more than to be at Iruka's side. It's a nice thought.

Yes, maybe he'll do exactly that.

\--

Alright, so maybe he's taken the whole imagined-lover thing a bit far, but Iruka definitely feels more at home in his hut (situated close to a village in Water country) when he has added a second pair of everything as if Kakashi was still living with him; Two bathrobes, two toothbrushes, an unused cup on the edge of his table that he even fills with tea every now and then to make it seem more true. Today Iruka feels especially guilty having returned from the village downstream with yet another collectible, a jacket just slightly too long in the arms and large and baggy the way Kakashi likes his. He hangs it gingerly on the rack, staring at it wistfully for a while before chiding himself and running himself a bath to take his mind off his guilty pleasures.

In truth, life isn't bad. There's none of the fighting he remembers from the end half of their relationship, no worry when Kakashi takes a mission, and if Iruka wishes to take a day off from his imaginary relationship he can do that too without returning to a hurt and pissy lover. He's free in a way that he has never been before, with no wake up time, no responsibilities and no feelings of inferiority when most of his peers pursue and succeed in achieveing jonin-rank (which he knows never will).

The first few months fly by and Iruka lets his hair down from the ponytail he's kept it up in for all too long. The seasons change, he learns new routines and his hair continues to grow until it reaches the top of his bum, at which point he begins to tie it up again because good lord is it in the way all the time, even if it feels nice and silky to touch. Bustling around the house everyday, but not actively training any longer, heeventually  notices his clothes feel bigger but doesn't really pay attention to it until one day in the village when he's standing in front of a mirror trying on new clothes. He doesn't look unfit, but the muscle mass he'd worked hard to put on is gone. Looking back at him in the mirror is a much smaller, more feminime version of himself, and Iruka pouts at his reflection in disappointment.

The first time Naruto comes by is interesting. Interesting, because Iruka had failed to tell him exactly where he would be moving and it had taken Naruto a year and a half to finally track him down in between missions. Loud exclamations, crushing hugs and a lot of tears are included, making Iruka glad he opted for a house away from the main village so he won't have any neighbors to disturb.

Iruka had actually been a bit nervous at the prospect of seeing Naruto again, but the blonde is bright enough and loud enough that none of the hurtful memories he fears manage to resurface. Not until the blonde has to leave, anyway. For a few days afterwards Iruka's house feels quieter and emptier than he remembers, and it isn't until he runs down to the village to buy another trinket (this time a shark-faced nightcap just ridiculous enough that Naruto would love it) that the feeling subsides.

It's a cool October evening when Iruka has his first real run-in with his past. He's washing clothes by the stream when the quiet around him suddenly changes in nature, feeling forced rather than the peacefulness he has come to to enjoy. He pauses in his task, straightening out slightly.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Iruka asks, having enough experience in the field to recognize the uneasy feeling in his gut.

"Maybe," says a voice, and Iruka's eyes dart to spot high in the trees. His stomach jolts and for the first time in months Iruka misses the comforting weight of a weapons pouch at his hip. "I'm looking for someone. Maybe you've seen them come by?"

No, was Iruka's first instinctive response, but his shinobi training curbed the word wanting to jump off his tongue. "What are they like?" Iruka asks instead, pressing for details.

The ninja hidden behind leaves made a hmm'ing sound. "I do believe you would know if you'd ran into them."

That was vague, but also telling. In other words the ninja expected the other person to be in a state where Iruka would immediately guess the connection.

"No..." said Iruka. "I don't believe I've seen such a person."

The ninja sighed. "Pity."

Iruka bobbed his head in acknowledgement. He gathered the last of his dirty laundry back in the basket before picking it up and standing. "I wish you luck in your pursuit, shinobi-san."

"Ah... The person I'm tracking can be quite a nuisance. I was so sure I'd managed to keep up with his trail, but alas..."

Iruka nodded, beginning to turn around.

"Perhaps you would like to keep me company? To help deal with the disappointment."

Iruka pauses. "I am a man, shinobi-san," he says.

"...Really?"

Iruka's brow twitches. "I'm afraid so," he says, speaking softly. He felt the presence in the woods withdrawing.

"Pity," was the last thing he heard before the presence disappeared entirely. Iruka was left standing alone at the bank of the small river, waiting a few minutes until the birds felt confident enough to continue their tentative song.

He'd only managed to wash about half of his laundry, but Iruka felt wary to remain despite the ninja's apparent withdrawal. One never knew with foreign shinobi, and there was always the risk of running into the other guy, something Iruka would rather avoid.

Only luck wasn't on his side.

Iruka knew something was wrong before he'd even entered the house. He was standing on the porch, arm outstretched, when his instincts flared and suddenly he knew was going to see something nasty on the other side of the door. The words the shinobi by the stream had spoken returned to him:

_"I do believe you would know if you'd ran into him."_

The shinobi had had reason to suspect that the person he was hunting would run into Iruka. If said person was injured, it made sense that he would be drawn to an empty house in search of cover and supplies. Iruka's house was the only one within a ten mile radius. Fuck.

Iruka's heart beats harder in his chest and he bites his lip as he begins to inch his hand closer to the handle.  He has already put the basket down, without noticing, nudges the door open. His eyes dart left and right, but nothing jumps on him and Iruka finds himself moving in through the doorway before he's consciously made the choice; Old shinobi instincts coming into place.. The open space of his home seems untouched at first glance, but there are a few blood drops on the floorboards and two bloody fingerprints on his windowsill. Iruka swallows thickly, follows the trail with his eyes to where it ends about halfway through the room, where the person himself must have noticed. What Iruka instantly recognizes is how no attempt has been made to clean up the trail that has already been made.

Iruka isn't sure if it's his training or his regard for human life that has him grabbing clean towels from the cupboard and hurrying to the bedroom where he assumes the person to have been heading. He throws the door open and it's only sheer dumb luck that has the approaching projectile missing his face by an inch. Iruka jumps backwards, eyes widening. Fortunately for him, the projectile was never flying right at him- the figure that had thrown it is now breathing hard and crumbling against the wall he is leaning against.

"Ka...Kakashi?" breathes Iruka.

One eye, the right, opens. It's staring right at Iruka, coolly despite the man's lungs working furiously to increase the amount of oxygen in his blood. Iruka stands frozen in the doorway and feels as if the rug has been yanked from right under his feet.

"I had a feeling it would be you," says Kakashi. Iruka's eyebrows furrow, for despite the softly spoken words Kakashi's posture does not soften. No- he's waiting for something, Iruka realizes. For what?

"Kakashi... I can help you. If you'll let me, I can help you," says Iruka.

Kakashi laughs softly. There is something sad about the sound. Iruka doesn't know what to think of it, but something inside of him warns that approaching the jonin right now might not be a very good idea.

It's strange. This time there is no shouting and no derisive comments, yet it's the first time that Iruka has been truly wary of approaching Kakashi. Perhaps it's the time they've spent apart, perhaps it's something else entirely. The change makes him sad.

"I'll get some hot water and..." Stuff. It doesn't sound very reliable, but it's honestly the best Iruka can do. Hot water, towels, bandages, perhaps a sharp knife or a pair of scissors to cut clothes with. What else could he hope to find in his humble abode? "Don't go anywhere. I'll help you onto the bed in a second."

He begins to turn around, but stops, the hair on his neck rising. In the end he opts for backing out of the doorway. Kakashi already threw ONE projectile at him. 

"Behave," Iruka says, mostly on impulse, before disappearing out of the jonin's line of sight.

To Iruka's surprise Kakashi doesn't fight him nearly as much as he'd expected the older man to. There are only two conditions that jonin insists upon: no blades and no touching the mask. Other than it seems almost as if the older man is humoring him, which confuses Iruka to no end. Iruka is very careful to abide by the rules that have been set down, though he feels salty, by the mask one especially. It's like a slap in the face announcing that he no longer has the priviledge, no matter how understandable it might be. And he can't help but wonder whether Kakashi has someone new whom he has granted that priviledge to, whether that might be the reason why he's so careful to not let Iruka catch a glimpse. That, too, would be understandable. It has already been two years.

Yes, he's salty.

"Your hair is very long," says Kakashi, finally resting in Iruka's bed, bandaged but tired. Iruka doesn't think he did a good enough job at all, but the jonin keeps insisting that all is fine. Great even. Iruka is sceptical, but hopes for Kakashi's sake that the jonin is right.

Iruka flips his hair from around his back to rest against his chest, clearly visible for Kakashi's eyes. Eye. Until Kakashi opens the other one and it's literally eyes, one hazy grey one and the other a bloody red, the black spots inside of it twisting curiously. Iruka likes the attention. He can recall a time when Kakashi would take time off from missions so he could keep the eye open during sex.

"You should perhaps mind your reserves a bit more," says Iruka.

"I'm not that drained," says Kakashi, but closes the eye. He doesn't let up on the subject of Iruka's hair though. "Doesn't it get in the way of, well... Everything?"

Iruka runs his fingers through the long strands, tugging gently when he feels a resistance. He considers the jonin's question. "I suppose," he says finally. "I'm used to it. I hardly notice it anymore unless I'm taking a bath, in which case it gets really heavy..." He looks up to see Kakashi watching him with two eyes again, and scowls.

"It's a shame..." says Kakashi. The jonin is looking at Iruka, red eye spinning, a thoughtful look on his face, and the brunette starts to feel uncomfortable under the weight of his stare... _No._ Iruka realizes suddenly it's not Kakashi who's making him uneasy. His senses prickle, the muscles of his thighs twitch and he is about to shoot up from the chair when a hand clamps on to his shoulder. Iruka jolts, his right arm shooting up only to have it caught easily.

"Hey, hey... Take it easy laddie. Bro won't do you any harm," says a male voice behind him.

\--

It's uncomfortable how the two males of the team keep stealing glances of him. Iruka has gathered his hair in his lap and is stroking it idly, tense but unwilling to vocalize his observation. Kakashi's attention especially puzzles him. Why doesn't he speak? If there's nothing left to say, why does he pay attention to Iruka at all? Even the hair shouldn't bother him that much; Naruto certainly hadn't reacted so much to it and Iruka didn't know why it should. Perhaps it was a bit feminime... But it didn't look bad exactly, did it?

Iruka is very puzzled about the situation in general. The two ANBU- Crane and Buffalo- don't seem to be in any hurry to leave now that they've found their team-mate, despite Iruka having made it perfectly clear that he would rather see them go right away. He was a little concerned for Kakashi,but he really, really didn't want to get pulled into old patterns. No, this Iruka was distinctly different from the sensei one and he was perfectly content to keep it that way.

So why couldn't they just go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler: Kakashi thought Iruka was a figment of his imagination (due to bloodloss, since he has apparently dreamed of Iruka before). In the last scene he has come to the realization that this is the real Iruka, whom he is seeing for the first time in two years. 
> 
> Why the ANBU + Kakashi don't leave immediately... That's up to your imagination. (Which basically means this is where the writing cut off, lol)


	3. Zombie Apocalypse (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One man ponders the horrors of Zombie Apocalypse
> 
> Or
> 
> Kakashi isn't sure what he did to deserve such an ugly fate. Never mind that most of humanity is gone, ripped to shreds by hungry, flesh eating zombies, he thinks his forced celibacy is almost as bad as that. Only the hope that one day he'll have sex again keeps him going.

Other than Kakashi, there is only one more adult in their haven; Umino Iruka. Brown hair, a scar across his nose. Kakashi's ex, though he'd rather forget about that, as much as he'd like to forget that the next person closest to them in age is a whopping fourteen. Way, way too young for Kakashi to get involved with even if he didn't have Iruka's hawk eyes watching him.  
  
Kakashi glances at Iruka. The brunette senses his stare and looks Kakashi dead in the eye.  
  
Kakashi isn't sure what he did to deserve such an ugly fate. Never mind that most of humanity is gone, ripped to shreds by hungry, flesh eating zombies, he thinks his forced celibacy is almost as bad as that. Only the hope that one day he'll have sex again keeps him going.  
  
Kakashi doesn't fully remember what made the two of them break up. Some stupid argument, no doubt, the both of them are stubborn to a fault, which is great when trying to survive zombie apocalypse, but not so good for intimate relationships. If Kakashi had known Iruka would one day be the only romantic partner available to him, he would have worked harder to curb some of his more difficult personality traits. He could have given in every once in a while. Would have given Iruka presents the brunette actually liked rather than Icha Icha merchandise that Kakashi secretly wanted for himself.  
  
"Is something the matter, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka's says, his voice too polite and proper, he doesn't talk that way to anybody but Kakashi. Kakashi wonders if the kids know to suspect something.

"No, everything's fine," Kakashi says, lifting the rim of his book higher. His copy of Icha Icha Paradise is old and slightly chewn on, but its the only book in the series he has left and worth more than his life.  
  
Kakashi doesn't know how Iruka deals with it. One would think the brunette was going stir crazy by now, Kakashi knows for a fact he hasn't had sex in as long as Kakashi has not. There has simply been no opportunity for it. The last time they ran into another group was several months ago and even Kakashi could not get off in the short time it took them to get on the other party's bad side.

Kakashi suspects they were short on supplies or they would not have been so aggressive, but that hardly matters. Kakashi's hope was that Iruka would eventually be desperate enough to fuck anything that moved, even Kakashi, but the brunette hasn't made a move yet and Kakashi is starting to lose hope.


	4. Secrets (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka is good, Kakashi has to give him that. The omega must be a wizard at covering up foreign scents; Kakashi brings one of curtains to his nose and breaths in. All he can make out are the scents of fresh air and odor eliminator, but that is a clue by itself. Kakashi and Iruka live in this house full time, their scents should be all over the place, yet after a week of being gone Kakashi's is barely noticeable. 
> 
> A low growl erupts in his chest as he lets go. Kakashi knows his omega is hiding something from him. He may act dumb, but he has noticed how sometimes when he comes the sheets are new and there's less food in the pantry than one would expect with only one person supposedly consuming it.

Iruka is good, Kakashi has to give him that. The omega must be a wizard at covering up foreign scents; Kakashi brings one of the curtains to his nose and breaths in. All he can make out are the scents of fresh air and odor eliminator, but that is a clue by itself. Kakashi and Iruka live in this house full time, their scents should be all over the place, yet after a week of being gone Kakashi's is barely noticeable.

A low growl erupts in his chest as he lets go. Kakashi knows his omega is hiding something from him. He may act dumb, but he has noticed how sometimes when he comes home the sheets are new and there's less food in the pantry than one would expect with only one person supposedly consuming it.

Earlier that day he'd told Iruka of an 'urgent' mission that he must leave on immediately and which would take him out of the village for the duration of at least ten days. Kakashi had been sure that Iruka would not be able to resist such a lure, though the omega had been able to surprise even him with how quickly he worked. Less than a day after Kakashi supposedly left the village, he now finds himself standing inside of his house, listening to laughter. It's coming from upstairs. The bedroom.

Kakashi's fingers squeeze into a loose fist. He thinks of Iruka that morning, how the omega stood on his tiptoes to give Kakashi a farewell kiss, asking for money in the same breath. _Money for whom?_ Kakashi wanted to ask. As he passes the ceremonial katana on the wall he takes it down on impulse, unsheathing the ancient sword. It's dull from a lack of use, but Kakashi is sure even a dull sword will cut if swung with enough strength.

As he slowly makes his way up the stairs, walking on the balls of his feet so he makes no sound, Kakashi finds himself wishing things had turned out differently for the two of them.

_Did you think I would not find out? Did you think I would forgive?_

He can hear the voices clearly now. Kakashi closes his eyes, sends out a prayer to Obito and Rin, and swings the door to his and Iruka's bedroom open.

\--

"I-I can explain," says a very white in the face Iruka. His eyes dart to the sword and back to Kakashi's face. Whatever he sees in his husband's expression, it can't be pretty; Kakashi knows what he's like when he lets that side of himself out.

There is a kid of maybe six or seven years on the bed with Iruka. Whatever Kakashi imagined, its not this.

"Is this what you've been hiding from me?"

Iruka looks terrified, but also ashamed as he nods.

"Is this the only one or do I need to search behind the curtains? Under the bed? In the chimney?"

"No," Iruka says, grimacing in response to Kakashi's overflowing sarcasm. "It's only Naruto– Will you please put the sword down? You're scaring him."

Kakashi lowers the katana though he doesn't think the kid looks the least bit scared. He is staring at Kakashi as if preparing to attack Kakashi's ankles the moment Iruka lets go of him.

"Which clan's kid did you steal?" Kakashi eyes the brat. He doesn't look familiar, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

"Naruto is an orphan," Iruka says, and Kakashi immediate knows the motivation behind Iruka's betrayal, it's clear as day in his voice; Iruka looks at the brat and sees himself, his own past.

Kakashi sags as weeks of tension leave his body. He'd been so jealous knowing his lover was hiding something from him, thinking it was another man whose scent the omega had been covering up to the best of his ability, but... Of course Kakashi should have known. With Iruka it is always about the brats.

"About Naruto..."

"He's not staying," Kakashi says firmly.  
  
"It's night! We can't just kick him out."

"In the morning," Kakashi amends. He looks around the room. Nothing else seems out of order, thank god. Just one soul too much on the bed, but of a young enough age that Kakashi can deal with it. His eyes return to Iruka, who is looking at the child with sorrowful eyes. "He can't stay, Iruka."

"Iruka-nii," the child says quietly, staring up at Iruka with wide blue eyes. Iruka looks stricken.

Kakashi realizes that returning the kid would not be as easy as he'd hoped.


	5. Hair Crisis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with something small. Organising stuff I have written. Will try to post other small stuff that look close to finished. Have some bigger things that need editing, but oh... I'm just not into that right now ;_;

  
Iruka stares at the bundle of hair in astonishment. It's long, it's brown and it's eerily familiar, but he's fairly certain it shouldn't be lying by his feet on the floor. Hesitantly he touches the back of his head to confirm that yes, he just lost about half of what had been weighing him down for the past two years or so, the last time he'd gone to the barberer.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"You killed my hair," says Iruka, still not quite believing it even as he says the words.  
  
Kakashi looks possibly more freaked out than Iruka is. He still has the knife in his hands, but for the first time since Iruka had known the man, he doesn't seem to know what to do with it.  
  
Iruka turns his head left, then right. It feels light, but also empty, lacking. "What triggered you?"  
  
"Nothing." Kakashi's jaws clamp shut, but he finally puts the knife away. "I shouldn't have come today. I knew it was a terrible idea."  
  
Which meant something had happened, to make him so on edge. Which was odd... Iruka was fairly certain Kakashi hadn't left the village for more than a few days at a time since, well, an unusually long time now that Iruka thought of it.  
  
"How about your neck? I didn't cut you, did I? I'm pretty sure I didn't, but..."  
  
"Nah, just the hair." Iruka shakes his head lightly and as a result, a long strand, maybe the only one not to have been cut off by Kakashi's precise strike, falls over his face. "Though, you know, if my father had been here to see this he would never have forgiven you."  
  
Kakashi winces.  
  
"So what triggered you? I know it must be something I did."  
  
"It isn't your fault," insists Kakashi.  
  
"I need to know so I can avoid doing things to trigger you in the future."

"If you were close to my physical level of competence the sheets would have been an effective form of containment." Iruka is so used to his lover talking circles around him, Kakashi is a master of the art of deflection, that it takes his brain a while to recalibrate when Kakashi immediately sprouts the truth. When his brain finally catches on, his eyes fall to the sheet now by his feet. He'd almost stumbled on it in his haste to get off the bed.

"Oh. _Oh."_ His eyes widen as understanding strikes him. "You don't like being kept down."  
  
"No shinobi does," says Kakashi, somberly. There is a long pause as Iruka thinks of how he doesn't have that particular aversion, and maybe Kakashi sensed that for he goes on to say quickly, "As I said, it's not your fault." Iruka realizes that as a teacher, he hasn't had the most typical ninja career, though he still takes missions regularly if only to keep his touch. Still, they're C-ranks mostly and even if there's trouble occasionally, it's rare for someone to take enough interest in a chunin to consider imprisonment or torture. Iruka's biggest risk is being recognized as Copy Nin Kakashi's lover, in which case it's very well possible that he'd attract attention that is way beyond his level to handle. Fortunately to him, nothing of that nature has happened and so far, his and Kakash's relationship seems to stay a few people's knowledge. 

"Do you dislike bonding in general or just yourself?" Iruka asks. He sits down on the edge of the bed and eventually Kakashi joins him, though keeping a moderate distance between them. Iruka yearns to tug the other close, but he keeps his hands to himself, recognising that his failure to read the situation was what caused the situation earlier.  
  
"The latter. It's not..." Kakashi rubs his face. "I trust you so I let my guard down around you occasionally, but then you—"  
  
"Trap you with bedsheets."  
  
" _Yes,"_ Kakashi hisses, sounding exasperated. Like Iruka's the reason his hair is so grey. "Or, it doesn't have to be that. You're not very aware. It's... It's a helpful in a way since it makes me think less, no insult intended," meaning it was absolutely an insult, especially to a ninja, but for now, Iruka would let it slide. "But then there are situations where—"  
  
"I attempt to trap you with bedsheets."  
  
"It's not about the bedsheets," says Kakashi, sounding sullen.  
  
"Okay," Iruka says. His eyebrows furrow in thought. "How sensitive to being held down are you? You do know you can just move me around if I drape around you in a way that makes you uncomfortable."  
  
Kakashi hides his face in his hands again. "I do, all the time." This has Iruka's mouth falling.  
  
"Reguarly?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Oh shit. He's really messed up if after all this time he's not noticed a thing.

Kakashi goes on to explain, waving his hand lazily in the air. "Like I said, you're not very aware and I didn't particularly want to bring attention to it. Anyway, just don't..." Kakashi stands up abruptly. "I shouldn't have come tonight. I'm too keyed up."

Iruka pulls him back down by his pants.

" _Iruka_."

For a man who enjoys being naked as much as Kakashi does, he makes a lot of noise upon having his pants pulled on. Iruka presses a kiss to his bare cheek. "Stay? I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to." Kakashi doesn't look very happy, but he doesn't try to leave again. They sit in silence for a good fifteen minutes before Iruka, feeling that the moment is right for it, says, "Know that if I ever even think of trapping you with bedsheets, it's only in the best of ways," his voice husky. 


	6. Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka has problems (with jealousy). 
> 
> Mentions of (past) alcoholism.

Iruka took a sip of wine, straight from the bottle, as the Fire lord's daughter giggled flirtiously. The storm outside bellowed, causing the lamp dangling from the ceiling to swing from side to side. It's murky light was barely enough to light up the center of the room, but Iruka was glad. He wouldn't have wanted to be seen in the mood he was in.  
  
"You don't find storms at all scary?"  
  
"Not particularly."  
  
"I'm scared of a lot of things. Storms, spiders, ugly shoes..." She giggled. "Are you afraid of ugly shoes, Hatake-san?"  
  
"No."  
  
"As I thought, you're very brave," she said, hmm'ing thoughtfully. "You would make a good husband. Do you have a wife?"  
  
Iruka's grip tightened around the neck of the bottle. The muscles of his hand spasmed as if to strangle it. He forced his hand to relax, bringing the bottle to his lips instead.  
  
It wasn't like him to be jealous. He didn't really think a fifteen year old girl would prove problematic, and yet... He turned his face to rest it against the window, staring off into the night. He could barely make out a skyline and trees swinging in the powerful wind. It was barely late afternoon, yet it was pitch black outside, one wouldn't have been able to tell it from night.  
  
He was barely aware of time passing, but eventually the light was turned off and someone began clearing glasses off the main table. Iruka could make out hushed whispers, Kakashi urging the girl to bed. She giggled again. She spoke a good night, forcing Kakashi to awkwardly respond in like.

"How much did you have to drink?" asked Kakashi, appearing next to him and speaking quietly against his ear. The Copy Nin's breath, hot through the mask, sent thrills along Iruka's skin.  
  
Iruka lifted the bottle, shaking it. The smallest of amounts could be heard squelching on the bottom.  
  
"That your only one?"  
  
Iruka nodded. "It's pretty potent though."  
  
Kakashi's hands landed on his shoulders, kneading gently. "Let me help you to bed."  
  
"I shouldn't be drinking," said Iruka, not about to circumvent the topic. It was the liquid courage probably that let him breach the subject, he imagined he would be mortified in the morning.  
  
"You shouldn't," agreed Kakashi carefully. "But it ought to be alright. I'll keep watch."  
  
"Is Iruka-san alright?" asked the girl. Iruka's neck muscles tightened and Kakashi's hands paused.  
  
"He's fine," said Kakashi neutrally, thankfully not elaborating. "Go to sleep. We'll be travelling again tomorrow."  
  
"He's been feeling off all evening though, hasn't he?"  
  
"Go to sleep," said Kakashi curtly, surprising Iruka with the edge his voice adopted. The girl too seemed taken aback, falling silent. "Leave Iruka to me. He'll be better in the morning."  
  
Kakashi must have sounded authoritative enough for the girl did not dare question him a second time. Iruka had to admit he was vaguely impressed, or would have been.  
  
"You shouldn't have allowed me to pick up the bottle on a mission," said Iruka.  
  
"I thought it would relax you," said Kakashi. "And I honestly didn't think you would drink so much."  
  
Iruka closed his eyes, feeling a sting to his dulled conscience. On reflex he swung the bottle up, intending to bring it to his lips, before finding his hand held no weight. He wiggled his fingers, looking at his curiously bottle-less hand.  
  
"You've drank enough," said Kakashi solemnly. The truth of his statement pushed through the haze in Iruka's mind, pressing at his chest. Iruka's lips tightened into a line. "Iruka, I..."  
  
"We shouldn't, ever, go on missions together," began Iruka. "And you wouldn't know. I used to have problems with my drinking which is why I pretty much quit."  
  
Kakashi was quiet for moment before saying seriously, "You could have told me."  
  
"Thinking I can control it is part of the problem," said Iruka dryly. He glanced at Kakashi, looking the jonin dead in the eye. It was dark and Kakashi's look was pretty indecipherable, but the alcohol in his blood gave Iruka courage to hold out his hand, which Kakashi thankfully caught promptly instead of ignoring it like he might have if he were really angry. "Help me to bed? I could do with today being over."  
  
"Yes, but you're also telling me what pissed you off so majorly."  
  
Iruka snorted.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I can't believe you're seriously asking me that. Are you seriously asking me that? Or am I just that drunk..." said Iruka, digging his face into his hands. He glanced at Kakashi's face through his fingers. "You're seriously asking me that. It's not obvious?" Iruka was baffled. Kakashi really didn't know? Hopefully the girl wouldn't either, then. "It's the girl, er, Mina-chan. You can't seriously say you haven't noticed how she's been flirting with you all night."  
  
"So?" said Kakashi. "She's fifteen." Kakashi said it as if it were a crime.  
  
"That's part of what makes it so ridiculous," said Iruka, biting his lip to keep from giggling.  
  
"You're jealous?" said Kakashi, catching on.  
  
"Yeah," said Iruka. "And you don't need to tell me how ridiculous that is, I know. I know also, have known for a long time, that you would sleep with people to save the world, which I don't want to know anything about by the way, and it never bothered me particularly. Until I had to see it with my own two eyes. It's kind of disturbing that I want to throttle a customer I'm supposed to protect."  
  
"I'm not sleeping with her. Her father would demand my head on a plate if I slept with her."  
  
"She wants to," said Iruka meaningfully.  
  
"You're being absolutely ridiculous," informed Kakashi him.  
  
"I know," said Iruka. "Pisses me off to no end. It's why I'm drinking."  
  
Kakashi let out a heavy sigh before grabbing on to his arm and shoulder. "Let me help you to bed. We're talking more when I can be sure you're accountable for the things you say."  
  
Iruka closed his eyes again briefly, but this time it was due to the comfort of being lifted into Kakashi's arms. He still had his feet on the floor but Kakashi carried half of his weight, dragging him across the room. He thought of protesting, but then reconsidered and in the end only tightened his hold of Kakashi. Uninvited the thought of someone else using the same trick to get close to Kakashi popped up in his mind.  
  
"If she gets drunk I'm carrying her," Iruka found himself mumbling.  
  
"So, so ridiculous," said Kakashi. Iruka felt himself being lowered and soon his back hit something soft.  



	7. Hot Chocolate & Cream

"I love how your skin looks against mine." Kakashi's voice is deep and husky. Iruka's lips twist smugly as he looks over his shoulder at the man pressing against his naked back. "It's so deep. Warm." Kakashi's fingers travel across Iruka's pecs and down to his stomach, smooth and strong as if he is trying to get in under the skin.

"Hot chocolate and milk," breathes Iruka.

"Cream," says Kakashi.

Iruka concedes the point with a tilt of his head. Kakashi is pale, but maybe not that pale. "If you go out in the sun and shed you will be milk though."

"You mean after I burn?" asks Kakashi, grinning. He nips at Iruka's shoulder with his teeth. Iruka has never seen Kakashi with serious sunburns, but with how pale the jonin is he's bound to get them easily and judging by the look on Kakashi's face, Iruka is absolutely correct in assuming it's not a pretty sight.

No wonder Kakashi covers himself as much as he does. It would be a real plot twist if the mask was actually to protect the delicate skin of his face...though Iruka already knows that's not the case. Naruto might fall for it though and for a moment Iruka finds himself contempating the merits of letting something drop the next time they're enjoying ramen at Ichiraku.

"What are you thinking of?"

Iruka closes his eyes, leaning his head against the jonin's shoulder. "Nothing," he says, and gets bitten in return. Iruka gapes, then swats at his lover's head. "That's what you get for keeping secrets," growls Kakashi. It's said jokingly, but Iruka sense an undercurrent of tension in the jonin's voice. Some days he wonders what might have made his lover so suspicious about everything, but then Iruka remember who exactly it is that he's dating and resolves to simply be grateful Kakashi is alive.

Nevertheless, it's good practise for Kakashi to trust Iruka even when he's not telling the jonin everything he wants to know. It drives Kakashi up the wall, but as it often also leads to fantastic sex the brunette doesn't feel too bad about it.

 

\-- <3 --

 

When they're both spent and enjoying the afterglow, Kakashi speaks softly. "I'm leaving for a mission in two days." While it's not the best situation to talk work in Iruka's opinion, he thinks he can forgive Kakashi since the jonin's hand on his stomach, drawing lazy circles, never stops.

"Will you be gone for a long time?" asks Iruka sleepily.

"A week. Maybe two." It's quite average for a high ranking mission and Iruka merely mumbles an acknowledgement. "Iruka, I've been thinking... You're not asleep, are you?"

"Almost," Iruka mumbles.

"Well I... Iruka, what do you do when I'm out of the village?"

"Hm?"

"I mean in your private time. What do you do when you're not with me. I spend a lot of time out of the village so I figured it must leave quite a gap in your schedule..."

Iruka listened hard to Kakashi's voice, but for the life of him he could not determine what emotion ruled the Copy Nin's tones. That might have been due to his sleepy state however for he more than acknowledge that he wasn't at his best so soon after coitus. "I work."

"If you're not working."

"When am I not working?" Iruka's brows furrowed. Most shinobi lived for their jobs; For him it was doubly so since his work happened in the village. He as good as never got a break from it. He tried to think of something he could say that did not make him sound like a no-life and finally found something that sounded like a hobby. "Dinner with Naruto. Sometimes I go visit the orphanage downtown."

"What about friends? Surely you have more chances to see them when I'm not there to take up your time."

"I see friends at work." His lips tilt up slyly. "Why? Feeling guilty about taking up my time with them?" Kakashi is quiet so Iruka waits for a while and then rolls onto his other side so he can squint up at the jonin. Kakashi raises his hand to cup at Iruka's face and the brunette blinks, staring up at the sombre look on his lover's face.

"When I say friends... What I actually mean is friends like me," Kakashi says slowly.

Iruka's brain tries to process Kakashi's words. "Jonin?"

Kakashi's eyes darken. "This," he says, stroking Iruka's face meaningfully.

"L...Lovers?"

Kakashi remains silent, but Iruka knows he's right.


	8. Bloodsucker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka has been keeping secrets and now he's in trouble...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy! This is one of the few vampire!Iruka stories I written/attempted to write.

 

**WARNING! Mentions of blood. A little bit disgusting, but nothing overtly violent.  
**

* * *

Tick.

Tick.

Tick-tok.

Iruka breathed deeply, fingers pressed against his forehead where an insistent headache seemed to be trying to split his skull open. He licked his lips, thinking of hungry he was. The smacking of his lips sounded almost obscenely loud in the silence.

Iruka could survive weeks without feeding, he knew it, had done so before, but the knowledge that he could not even if he wanted to – it made him go crazy with desire. The survival part of his brain was flaring up and doing its all to get Iruka off his ass and hunting.

A couple more days. If he remained underground just a little bit longer things would calm down and it would be easier to do his vanishing act.

Iruka didn’t let himself think of the boyfriend he’d be leaving behind. Kakashi was…

Kakashi.

 

* * *

 

 

Underground, seconds stretched into minutes stretching into hours. Time was of little consequence when you slept and that was what Iruka did, as much as possible. It would help him conserve power and was convenient as a way to pass time.

Iruka didn’t know how many days had passed. A week. Maybe two.

It was the creaking of a door that finally startled him out of his slumber. Iruka sat up, back straight and eyes wide open.

”Hello?” a familiar voice spoke, tentative. Too quietly for a human to hear at this distance, but Iruka wasn’t human.

He licked his lips.

Kakashi was a cop. Not the type of person Iruka should have gotten involved with, but oh well. Slipping away from under the blanket he’d used to cover himself with, Iruka took to the shadows, moving silently. Kakashi’s footsteps echoed quietly, a flashlight zooming left and right in the dark.

Iruka had chosen an underground house for a reason. No electricity, no daylight. Perfect for a vampire to hide in and a deadly trap if someone were stupid enough to enter.

”Iruka, are you here?”

Iruka lifted his upper lip, baring his fangs silently. He could see Kakashi clearly, though obviously the human had not spotted him. Iruka could hear his heartbeat, beating at an accelerated pace; Though Kakashi acted calm, he was on edge. Scared. Would he run? Iruka licked his lips at the thought. Kakashi obviously knew what he was looking for or he’d never have tracked Iruka in his hiding place.

Iruka crept closer to the human, wary of the flashlight jumping side to side. He didn’t want to be discovered. Though their surroundings put him at an advantage, Kakashi would still be dangerous. Humans were dangerous. Cops were dangerous.

Suddenly the flashlight was on Iruka and he froze, blinded by the shine. Kakashi gasped.

”I-Iruka.” Kakashi fumbled with the flashlight, a beginner mistake. Or just faced with the shocking fact that his lover was a vampire and about to feed off of him.

For Iruka, there was something about being in the light that begun to wake his human side up. The man who wore shades outside, but still loved sunlight. The man who taught children in a local church because most of the families living in this area could not afford proper education for their offspring. The man who went on one date with a cop who was too handsome for him, and fell in love.

”Shit,” Kakashi muttered fumbling for something else. His gun. He held it out towards Iruka and he knew he should feel scared. It was hard to, with Kakashi’s hearbeat sounding so loudly in his head, hunger pressing on his tongue. Iruka licked his lips again and he knew it scared his lover, could hear the resounding skip in pulse. Yet, he pressed on bravely.

”Iruka, I know what you are. You don’t need to hide from me. If you’ll let me, I can get you help.”

”What I need,” Iruka said, his voice barely recognizable – he could almost hear the hair on Kakashi’s nape standing on end. ”Is sustenance. You do know what I mean by that, do you not?”

”Blood,” was Kakashi’s curt reply.

”Yes,” Iruka said simply.

”I have – I have a bag of blood with me. From a hospital.” A pause. Iruka felt himself straightening out from his crouch, more of his humanity returning. Iruka’s own, cursed heart was beating harder now – was this fear? Or love?

”Can you drink that?” Kakashi continued.

”Yes,” Iruka breathed.

The human fumbled with something on his hip, trying to keep the flashlight on Iruka and not lowering the gun. It came after a few gasps and low curses, but Kakashi managed to fish out a shape Iruka recognized well.

”I’ll – I’ll just throw it to you now. Don’t drop it,” Kakashi said.

”My reflexes are better than yours,” Iruka said. Before, Kakashi would have protested. Now he just paused, before throwing the bag through the air. Iruka caught it perfectly – accidentally piercing it with his extended claws. The bag exploded over his upper body and face. ”F-Fuck!” Iruka felt the frenzy take over and he began licking his own arms in a hurry, desperate to catch each and every drop of blood.

”Oh shit, do you… Do you need help?”

”Don’t fucking come anywhere close to my blood,” Iruka growled, not even looking at Kakashi before he flung himself on the floor to lick the blood pooling at his feet. It was a tedious job and Iruka had to pause every few minutes to spit out a ball of dust, yet he continued, desperate for the wetness on his tongue. As he continued, eventually he lost track of Kakashi’s heartbeat, still able to listen to it if he wanted, but now more focused on color, on textures, on the tired lines marring Kakashi’s face.

With a final lick of his lips, Iruka sat up on his haunches.

A strained silence fell over them.

”So,” Kakashi said, his voice a lot closer to his usual drawl than before – he was regaining control. ”That’s what happens when you don’t drink often enough?”

”It’s not only that,” Iruka said weakly. ”You woke me up – It takes me time to think clearly in the morning. You know that.”

A new set of emotions flickered on Kakashi’s face. ”Oh. Sorry.” He paused, obviously thinking. Iruka almost felt like they were in his tiny kitchen again, discussing something domestic like Kakashi’s shifts at work or what Iruka intended to teach his kids next. ”You know, of all the things I imagined might happen if I disturbed you before your first cup of coffee, this wasn’t it.”

Iruka was too embarrassed to meet Kakashi’s gaze directly so he hid his face in his hands.

When Iruka had the courage to lower his hands, it was to the sight of a tender if wary look on Kakashi’s face. ”Are you alright now?”

Iruka turned over the words in his mind. Did Kakashi mean his thirst? Something else?

”You know,” Kakashi began. ”Nobody but me knows about you.”

Iruka snorted.

”I’m serious. It wasn’t you – was it?” Iruka shook his head. In these matters, guilt did not matter. A vampire was a vampire. ”I figured it out.”

”I was at the scene of crime and disappeard. What a way to prove my innocence.”

”Everybody thinks you’re at home, suffering of a particularly persistent but altogether harmless bout of flu,” Kakashi said sternly. Iruka gaped at him.

”I was there! I saw the…” Iruka didn’t need to give Kakashi a description of the scene. He’d seen it. Kakashi’s jaw hardened, confirming the human knew exactly what he was talking about. ”People saw _me.”_

”No, they saw a vampire. Long haired, possibly female,” Kakashi said calmly.

Iruka gaped again. ”N-No…”

”Yes,” Kakashi said.

”Why?” Iruka said in a whisper. His head was spinning.

Kakashi shrugged, as if he didn’t have a lot hanging on this one major bet. ”I’m a cop. It is my duty to catch the bad guys and testify for the innocent ones.”

Iruka blinked, seeing Kakashi in a new light. Rugged pale hair, more scars than Iruka could count and despite his aloof, carefree demeanor Iruka could tell there was a lot of darkness hiding inside of his boyfriend. Iruka knew Kakashi was good, despite Kakashi not always being entirely convinced of it, had seen how hard Kakashi worked, how skilled he was at what he did… Though Iruka didn’t understand shit about how the job was done, he could hear it in the human’s voice that he knew what he was talking about.

This was the first time Iruka had hand’s on experience though.

”How did you find me?” Iruka asked finally.

Kakashi’s gaze was piercing. ”I figured, if I was an innocent vampire caught at a scene of crime, I’d lay low for a while before trying to make it out of the country. I did some research and figured out a list of places you could have gone – you obviously didn’t go back to our place.”

Iruka grimaced. ”I figured that was the first place they’d look.”

Kakashi nodded. ”If they knew your name.”

Iruka still could not believe they didn’t. ”You said… You said I’d caught the flu?” Kakashi nodded. ”How many days has it been since I…”

”Eh,” Kakashi said, scratching the back of his head. ”Sixteen days. Almost seventeen.”

Iruka blanched. ”They probably think I died!”

Kakashi grinned. ”I may have had to get inventive with the sequela, but don’t worry - I didn’t say anything particularly embarrassing. Except to explain why _I_ had to be off duty for the bast two and a half weeks.”

_”Oh god.”_

 

_THE END_

 

* * *

**ADDITIONAL MINIPIECES:**

* * *

 

 

”I’m not a very good hunter,” Iruka said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

”How’s that possible?”

”Well,” Iruka hesitated. ”It’s not like I hunt. I always used to buy or steal my blood. You know, in bags. It just doesn’t seem like a very humane thing to do to bite someone without their consent. I once tried with a rabbit, but… They scream a lot, you know? At least initially.”

Kakashi stared at him.

”I’m not as exciting as you thought, am I?” Iruka grimaced, baring his pointed teeth. Kakashi had long since gotten used to the sight of them and Iruka was relieved he didn’t have to hide anymore.

”My job is exciting enough,” Kakashi said, throwing the pieces of chicken he’d cut into the pan. ”And, believe it or not, the ’can’t stand it when they scream’ part sounds very good considering I let you sleep in the same bed. ”

 

* * *

 

Sometimes Iruka would help Kakashi with his job. Iruka didn’t like police stuff, they usually included terrible things like trafficking, drugs and terrible accidents, but he had the advantage of not minding blood. No, he loved blood. The hardest things about helping Kakashi was to make sure he didn’t start licking any of the floors or walls that had been coated in it because Iruka objectively knew it would be creepy and he didn’t want to turn the police officer off.

Not that Kakashi easy to turn off, period.


End file.
